Considering getting back on an antidepressant after being off of citalopram for over a year. Also hoping it can help my daily dizzy. I need some positive stories please. 💖
I've been sleeping like 4 hours every night since June thanks to all tbe high stress i have going on. I've had brutal vertigo episodes thanks to this but the fear of vertigo is what keeps me awake. I hate it
So, I’ve been diagnosed with vestibular migraines for about 3 years now and when I first got diagnosed they gave me some tablets (they were actually an anti depressant, can’t remember the name of them) but they made my resting heart rate go up to 130 so I stopped them.
I’ve been managing okay but recently due to stress at work I’ve had a big flare up.
I’ve been so dizzy for the past week and nothing is helping. I’ve been taking fluoxetine, anti anxiety meds, paracetamol and electrolytes but nothing is taking the edge off.
Please let me know of any remedies possible, I’m willing to try anything.
P.s: I’ve tried sleeping, taking iron and magnesium, wearing sunglasses and my prescription glasses full time.
Has anyone else experienced symptoms like this, and what could be causing them? I’ve had a constant (24/7) sense of unreality, fatigue, head pressure/aching, and pain in my neck and shoulders for over two months. I’ve tried massage and physiotherapy, but neither helped. I also tried muscle relaxants, but they didn't work either. I had been unemployed for one year and then i got highly physical job which i did for two months and in the very last few days my symptoms started. I liked doing the job and the work environment/friends were nice. I’ve been unemployed for a couple of months now, so I don’t think it could be burnout or exhaustion. My thyroid levels are fine, too and other blood tests have been ok.
So after being housebound for eight months, I am starting to drive a little bit again. I have a small car that is not the smoothest ride. Has anyone had luck with using memory foam or gel seat pads to try to minimize the bumpiness of driving? Or does anyone have any other suggestions that made it easier to get back into driving and absorb the shock without feeling so rattled around? Thank you!
I’m just sad this morning.
I used to be an incredibly social person. I loved going to concerts with friends. I loved to travel. I loved to go out, to go over peoples houses, to have them at mine.
Since this episode, which ebbs and flows but never truly lets up, started last September I’ve had to cancel maybe 80% of the plans I try to make. My friends went to see a show last night and I had to tell them a few weeks ago there’s no way I could handle it. And I was right, last night I was laying down in a dark room begging my migraine to go away. I had to hold on to the wall just to get upstairs to bed.
I’m supposed to go to a get away with friends in September and I’m so stressed about it. We’re going away for my fiances 40th and I’m stressed about it. My family is coming over today and I’m not prepared at all.
I just miss the me that reveled in this kind of stuff. I’m scared my friendships will suffer because of it.
Most of all I am so worried for my wedding & honeymoon next May. I just want to enjoy them.
I’m in a particularly stressful period at work & im worse than I was just before it. But god do I miss being a person who can just live their life.
Around 1.5 years ago I woke up one morning with the most intense severe vertigo, the entire room was visually spinning around me. I saw an out of hours doctor who believed it was labyrinthitis and gave me prochlorperazine. It cleared up within around a week.
A few months later I had an unrelated fall at work (thanks to my hypermobile ankles) and hit my head on a tree. 4 days or so later I experienced fairly severe pressure in my head and ended up in a&e for around 30 hours where they did a CT scan, and then a follow up MRI (or could be the other way round) a few days later as they thought they saw chiari malformation (but discounted that after the second scan). I was told then that it was likely something vestibular and to see an ENT.
I didnt have any symptoms for months and months so never asked for an ENT referral, however symptoms have massively flared up lately. I have periods of several days/weeks where I feel a pressure around the centre band of my head and over the bridge of my nose, medium vertigo (which is a sensation rather than spinning), pain in my left ear and some very brief dizzy spells. My balance centre is very much off and I have gentle swaying feeling like I’ve had a few beers, plus some brain fog.
Over the past 3-4 months or so I've seen several GPs who have each said labyrinthitis each time even though it feels different to my first episode of labyrinthitis and the focus is often more on the pressure rather than the vertigo. My own research leads me to consider vestibular migraines, but the last GP I saw, who did do a referral to ENT for me, suspects menieres disease.
I live in the UK and while the NHS is wonderful for many things, I know current waiting lists are around 6 months in my area for an ENT appointment. What can/could I do in the mean time? I don't take any medication for it, although am currently on omeprazole for gastro issues. I'm able to carry on life mostly as normal but it's really unpleasant and I'm really starting to get anxious about more alarming causes.
Other info: 40f, lots of gastro issues (coaliec, hiatus hernia, suspected IBS), also diagnosed with autism (level 1).
I (23M) just started a job in a hospital and worked my first day, went home and felt great! (I feel it’s important to say that this is my first job out of college, with around 1 years worth of experience in my field.)
Second day, I ended up getting a migraine at work, left early and cried when I got home which is very abnormal for me.
Now I have fallen into the cycle of waking up, feeling nauseous, getting a migraine from lack of eating, and then suffering the rest of the day until I wake up tomorrow and do it all again.
It’s been 5 days of this cycle and I feel so lost.
I have work again on Monday, but I am debating quitting because it requires me to ride up and down elevators pushing big things like carts, working in some hotter temperatures (85+ F°), and I’m doing manual labor.
I don’t knock anyone that can do this, I honestly envy you, but I just don’t think I can do this job anymore.
What do I do? I feel like things are crumbling apart. During school I was fine; sleeping in, doing massive papers and projects, and focusing on school, etc. but now it’s time to get a job. I searched for a job for 2-3 months and pulled strings where I could to even get myself this job.
Is my only real hope of long term success/ job security to either work remote due to disability or to start my own business? (Which may be even more difficult)
I feel so conflicted and can’t even bear the thought of riding an elevator again. What do I do.
Hello everyone. I'm a 27F and started having low frequency migraines november 2025. Right after starting with the migraines, positional vertigo episodes appeared in my life. The vertigo usually appears a couple of days after a headache which I always have during the placebo week of my nuvaring (contraception). It's literally text book.
This is my timeline:
11/19 migraine with aura
1/20 vppb horizontal canal / confirmed nystagmus
3/24 migraine with aura
4/6 vppb posterior canal / confirmed nystagmus
5/2 headache
5/7 vppb horizontal canal / confirmed nystagmus
6/1 headache
6/4 vppb horizontal canal / confirmed nystagmus
6/28 headache
7/2 headache
4/7 (today!) vppb horizontal canal / confirmed nystagmus
On one of my visits to the ER for BPPV, a doctor told me people with migraines were more prone to get BPPV. That made me realized everytime I had a migraine, I had BPPV after. I started a week ago a preventative treatment for migraines with venlafaxine (I was on sertraline before) but I guess it's too soon to tell.
fyi vitamin D levels are super good, so that's not my cause.
Anyone else who's had this frequent episodes and was able to manage them or find the root cause? I'm tired of having this every month.
Hi everyone, I had my first brain/inner auditory canal MRI the other day. It came back normal except for the following:
- white matter lesions consistent with migraine
- thin superior semicircular canal superior wall (no dehiscence)
I am not so concerned with the first thing but the second gives me pause. My neuro didn't address it in the comments of the MRI (also, I do have a follow up with her but she wasn't available until September).
I've gotten much better in my Dr. Googling since starting to treat my OCD but unfortunately I went down a rabbit hole with Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS). I know it's rare and I don't actually have a dehiscence, but I'm wondering if having a thin superior semicircular canal superior wall can contribute to VM? Every time I have BPPV or any kind of vertigo, it's my right side that's affected, as in I feel like I'm being pulled that way or my spinning always starts to the right or I have a loose stone in that ear. My positional vertigo (not BPPV just being dizzy on that side) is almost always my right side; I can't usually sleep on it for long periods of time.
Is there anyone here who also has a thin superior semicircular canal superior wall? What has your doctor said about it? Has treating your VM helped your vestibular symptoms overall (i.e., the thin wall isn't really an issue)?
FWIW I don't have any of the symptoms like tinnitus (no more than the average person), hearing my own heartbeat/eyeballs moving/etc, or getting instant vertigo from loud noises/pressure changes. I do have sensitivity to loud noises but I think that's migraine-related.
Hello
Been on qulipta for almost a year 30mg daily. Stopped cold turkey 9 days ago and just started feeling super moody, anxious, my vestibular migraine ear and neck symptoms coming back on and off, super moody and irritable, cry spells hot flashes are back (I am 49 woman and post menopause 2 years now) nervous system out of wack!
Anyone else feel this and how long did this crap last? I know drs say no withdrawals but I don’t Venice anything they say because every time they said can stop cold turkey (like HRT I took for two months and caused these damn vestibular migraines in the first place! Plus years of anxiety from trauma and PTSD), I’ve had terrible symptoms stopping cold turkey I’m very sensitive plus I have severe anxiety which I also take nortriptyline 10mg daily for both vestibular migraines and anxiety . I do do Botox for migraines thank God after 9 months started helping the pain that’s why I am trying to come off quilts but it for sure messes with your brain chemicals and moods which I know my migraine symptoms also cause my mood disorders and vice versa.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Hi,
About 5 years ago I got severely motion sick from a side-scrolling video game. Since then, I have become increasingly sensitive to any type of motion, particularly on screens. First side-scrolling games, then any first person game, third-person, etc. Now I can't watch movies, scroll on the internet, or even switch browser tabs with static images without getting motion sick.
Each time I got motion sick, it seemed to permanently make me more prone to happening more quickly, with lower stimulus. I have no issues with balance, busy grocery stores, and can handle short car trips fine. I do get motion sick with longer ones, though.
I visited a neurologist who thought every time I got sick with a screen, I was experiencing a vestibular migraine. This seems odd to me. She prescribed me propranolol which didn't help.
I started vestibular rehab and saw improvement very fast with hand tracking exercises - like moving my thumb across my field of vision. But I've continued to decline rapidly with screens, and now can't avoid getting motion sick a dozen times daily.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar? What has helped?
Edit: My vestibular therapist also said the migraine diagnosis doesn't make sense, so I thought it'd be helpful to ask you guys.
32M — vestibular migraine (working dx), PPPD raised but not confirmed
Onset: 2024, after COVID. Recurring since, with some remission stretches (several months symptom-free after getting married in Oct 2025).
Current flare: Started 5/28/26, daily and severe. Unlike every prior episode, rest and sleep aren’t resolving it this time.
Symptoms:
Floating/rocking sensation, like I’m way above my feet
Feeling out of my body
Near-fainting sensation (never actually passed out) — no racing heart when this happens, which throws me off
Blurry vision
Catching myself holding my breath
Nausea, lightheadedness, trouble concentrating
Ear pressure
Panic attacks during severe episodes
Jaw clenching/TMJ flares with stress
Triggers: bright lights, busy visual environments, loud noises, heat/humidity, motion (driving/travel). Grocery stores are almost impossible right now.
I’m honestly scared to go anywhere at this point. The near-passing-out feeling is the worst part — it’s a lot.
Current treatment:
Amitriptyline (low dose — noticeable improvement)
Magnesium glycinate
Electrolytes every morning (seem to be helping)
Alprazolam as needed
Vestibular PT
Tests that came back clean:
Cardiac: stress test and echo both normal
Thyroid (TSH): normal
CBC, CRP, sed rate: normal
A1C: normal
Hep B/C: negative
Still pending: brain/brainstem MRI, EEG, full labs (with neurology)
Does this sound like VM to anyone who’s dealt with it? Trying to figure out if I’m on the right track.
Hi everyone,
I've been dealing with this for around a year and it's completely changed my life. I'm not looking for a diagnosis over Reddit, but I'm wondering if anyone with vestibular migraine (or something similar) recognises this pattern. To preface Ive been keeping a diary on ChatGPT. I asked it to help me write this as I tend to go on and on and on. Im also going to post this in r?dysautonomia in case Ive got this all wrong.
The symptoms began completely suddenly while I was walking at work in a hospital. One second I felt completely normal, then it was almost like someone flicked a switch in my brain.
It wasn't spinning vertigo.
Instead I suddenly felt "different." My vision became soft or less sharp, my perception of the world changed and I felt strange in my head. I was so affected that I didn't feel safe driving home.
A brain MRI performed afterwards was normal.
The strange head sensation is still my main symptom.
The best way I can describe it is that my brain feels overwhelmed or hyper-aware. It's much more than ordinary light-headedness.
When this happens:
One thing I've noticed is that the tinnitus and head symptoms are very closely linked. On good days I barely notice my tinnitus. On bad days it becomes extremely loud and the head symptoms follow shortly afterwards.
Movement.
Not just walking.
Getting dressed, bending over, reaching up, doing the washing, gardening or walking around a shop can all trigger it.
The strange thing is that the symptoms build over several minutes rather than happening instantly.
Once they've built to their peak, stopping doesn't make them disappear.
It's almost like climbing a hill. Once I reach the top, I stay there for an hour or sometimes several hours before the symptoms gradually settle.
I also have episodes where my heart rate increases much more than I would expect with activity, along with ectopic beats.
My cardiologist has found no structural heart disease.
ECGs, blood tests and oxygen levels have all been reassuring.
I'm on 2.5 mg bisoprolol, which helps control the heart rate response.
My symptoms fluctuate enormously.
Some days I can barely walk around the house.
Other days I can drive, walk 6,000-7,000 steps and spend hours out with very few problems.
That variability makes it difficult to understand what's happening.
So far I've had:
Has anyone with vestibular migraine (or another vestibular disorder) experienced anything similar?
Especially:
I'm open-minded and genuinely interested in hearing from people with similar experiences.
Thank you for reading.
Hello! I (19F) am a university student, my symptoms began early this year and I was diagnosed around 2 months ago. I have been continuing my studies mainly at home, but manage to come in to attend laboratory sessions. I am still figuring myself out with this condition, trying to find triggers, or identify when I’m having a flare up etc etc.
I want to be a psychiatrist, but if I’m too thick to go to medical school I want to become a nurse instead lol. I’m just worried that all my efforts and hours upon hours of studying, achieving good grades, will be for nothing and that I won’t be able to work. I wouldn’t say it is incredibly debilitating for now, I believe I have only had 2-3 flare ups since my symptoms started, but I worry at the idea that it will get worse in future and I will not be able to work.
If there is anyone that is in a healthcare profession and also has VM I would like to know everything about it! How do you manage, are there flexible schedules for the circumstance that you have a flare up? Anything at all would be great. Wishing everyone the best!
For almost three months, I've been living with status vestibular migraine, with constant daily symptoms and very little relief.
Symptoms:
Constant brain fog and feeling “spaced out”
Persistent head pressure and tension-type headache
Dizziness and imbalance
Visual disturbances
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue and feeling disconnected from reality
My brain and spine MRI were both clear. A 5-day course of prednisolone gave a temporary improvement of around 20%, but symptoms returned soon after finishing it.
I’m currently on 50 mg of amitriptyline, which I’ve been taking for the past 3½ weeks, after starting at 10 mg and gradually increasing the dose.
The symptoms started suddenly one afternoon without warning, and doctors have suggested it may be related to stress. I don’t feel this fully explains it, as there was no obvious period of significant stress at the time, including starting a new corporate job. I’ve also raised the possibility that symptoms may have been triggered by headaches after gym sessions, but this has been considered unlikely by clinicians.
At this point, I’m barely able to leave the house and have essentially lost my new corporate job due to my condition. I’m finding things very difficult right now and would really appreciate any advice or insights from others who may have experienced something similar
My doctor wants me to try inpatient migraine treatment for refractory chronic vestibular migraine at Ascension St. Joseph Hospital Comprehensive Migraine and Headache Unit next week. I’m very nervous, but I’m willing to try it.
Has anyone done inpatient treatment here? How did it go?
everyone,
I’m a 36-year-old male and I’ve been struggling with what my neurologist diagnosed as vestibular migraine for about two years now. I’ve had a brain MRI with contrast, cardiac workup, ENT evaluation, eye exams, vestibular testing, and the dangerous stuff has essentially been ruled out.
My biggest symptom isn’t actually the headache—it’s my vision.
The best way I can describe it is that I can technically see fine, but my brain doesn’t process what I’m seeing correctly. Looking into the distance is extremely difficult. Looking from right to left or scanning visually is exhausting. Grocery stores, Home Depot, Costco, fluorescent lights, and large open spaces absolutely destroy me.
I feel like I’m looking through a dream or underwater. It’s almost like derealization, but it’s triggered by my vision.
Some of my other symptoms include:
Constant dizziness/off-balance feeling (not room spinning)
Ear fullness, especially during flares
Head pressure/tightness
Extreme fatigue
Visual motion sensitivity
Feeling like my eyes “don’t want to wake up”
Difficulty making eye contact because my vision feels so disconnected
Anxiety that seems to flare when my vestibular symptoms flare
One interesting thing is that moving my head, looking side to side, or visually busy environments make everything worse.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that when I’m extremely fatigued, all of my visual symptoms become dramatically worse.
I’ve started vestibular therapy before and I’m planning to restart it. I’m also currently adjusting my medications and trying to improve my lifestyle (better sleep, eating breakfast, cutting out nighttime sugar, staying hydrated, and eventually quitting vaping).
What I’m really looking for are experiences from people who have been through something similar.
Did anyone else have vision as their worst symptom?
Did stores and visually busy places make you feel like you couldn’t function?
Did you ever feel like you were living in a dream or that your brain couldn’t process what your eyes were seeing?
What treatment actually helped? Vestibular therapy? CGRP medications like Emgality? Something else?
Most importantly… did you eventually get back to living a normal life where you could walk into a store and not think about your vision every second?
I’m trying to stay hopeful, but this has become the biggest quality-of-life issue I’ve ever dealt with, and I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have come out the other side.
Thank you.